Asociatia Pentru Protectia Consumatorilor Din România - APC ROMANIA (Romanian Association for
Consumers Protection) RO Romania
This is a national association (non-profit), whose main areas of activity are consumer’s education,
advising, information, representation and protection. The organisation has 7 members of staff, and the
major activity is providing free information and advice to consumers on consumer’s rights, legal advice
and market products and services. They also provide comparative tests and market overviews and they
provide consumer education in schools and universities.
Name: Costel Stanciu
1. Previous work
a What work have you done (research, publications, courses, activities, etc) that is related
to consumer citizenship, consumer education, citizenship education, environmental
education and protection or issues of sustainable development?
Please provide a brief list
APC Romania is an active organisation in the filed of consumer information, consumer education
and representation of consumers interests. However, operating in these fields provides a larger view
as consumer-related issues we work on, do not stop to the classical commodities (as foodstuffs and
non-foodstuffs), but they also tackle health and nutrition, healthcare services, environment and
promotion of sustainable consumption patterns and sustainable production systems. Information
and education is targeted to both adults and children, both in an institutional and not-institutional
framework.
Here is a more detailed presentation:
Consumer information and education to school students – is made mostly by organising
practical workshops involving modern teaching methods. The purpose of these activities is to
build in new consumer attitudes, behaviours and practical abilities based on knowledge of
consumers’ rights whose scope is to protect the consumer-child against the commercial
malpractices, as children are often an easier target for such practices than adults.
As said before, these workshops do not limit to the classical commodities, but cover a wide range
of topics. Workshops are also including topics on healthy diet, hygienic practices, organic
products, healthy lifestyles, promotion of health, the importance of the family doctor, the health-
insured rights and obligations, what can one do for the improvement of the Romanian heath
care system.
Consumer information and education to University Students – Workshops with these students
have also been done, but at a smaller scale, similar to those done in schools.
Consumer information and education to adults - is made mostly through our publications and
through direct advice provided to adult consumers. It is made also through the media channels
as newspapers, TV and radio stations. Another way we inform and educate adults is by
organising workshops and discussions in our office.
In our activities we always target our information given towards building of new behaviours
and attitudes as paying attention to labels, paying attention to products, not throwing the
receipt, asking for a receipt, as a tool needed for later possible situations of prejudices, if any,
but also as a tool that the consumer has in his hand to influence Romanian economy by
improving registration of the financial transactions. Our publications, press articles and
services target also building of new practical abilities as recognising fresh food from altered one
or recognising misleading advertisement and unfair contract terms.
Consumer citizenship – is a minor area of work in our activities, but definitely need to be
further developed. It targets, as said before, the consumer’s role in improving the Romanian
economy by insisting for receiving a receipt for his transactions and improving hygienic
practices on the market. This education programme is made through our publications, the mass-
media and in direct workshops and is always addressed to adult consumers. In the case of
children, consumer citizenship can be found in the topic of the health care services, by
brainstorming them how can the health care system be improved. It can also be found in the
topic of improving hygienic conditions on the market.
Sustainable development – Promotion of sustainable consumption patterns is a new issue in
which APC Romania has just been involved in a project with the coordination of Consumers
International, whose purpose is to improve sustainable food production and consumption
systems in Romania. Both adults and children will be targeted in this programme by designing
information and education programmes.
b What languages have these activities/materials been in?
The activities and materials have been in Romanian, however a short description can be
provided in English. APC Romania is also in a process of contributing to the governmental
programme “Health Education in Schools” by editing a teacher’s guide on Consumers
Protection and Healthy Diet, however, unfortunately APC Romania lacks the financial resources
for paying our experts to write this guide.
c Are the materials or publications available? If so, where?
The materials are not available. However, if the necessary funds are found they can be
integrated into a teacher’s guide.
d Are there other issues than those related to the work you have done which you are
particularly interested in exploring further?
Promoting sustainable consumption patterns is one of APC Romania’s immediate specific
objectives.
2. Expectations
What expectations do you have about the Consumer Citizenship Network?
I expect the Network to bring scientific evidence that would help promote consumer citizenship
as a worldwide-recognised curriculum, considering the urgent need for building healthy
attitudes in children towards promoting sustainable development.
I also expect CCN to publish a teachers’ guide providing teaching methods and tools.
3. Contributions
What do you think you and your institution can contribute to the Network?
APC Romania can provide teaching methods and teaching tools in developing a teacher’s guide.
We can also contribute with data and relevant information from the Romanian system and any
other activity that may be necessary.